Assessing growth mindset in undergraduate medical students: translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and evaluation of the Chinese version of the implicit theories of intelligence scale

Objectives Cross-cultural equivalence translations of the widely used Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale (ITIS) into Chinese are limited. Past research has focused on Western educational contexts, and Eastern cultural perspectives have been overlooked. This study aimed to translate and validate the Chinese version of the ITIS, and assess the growth mindset in undergraduate medical students. Methods This study was conducted among final-year undergraduate medical students in Fujian, China. Following forward and back-translation of the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale (ITIS), cognitive interviews were conducted with students to assess the clarity and comprehensibility of the translated items, followed by an online survey distributed through medical schools. Construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability (CR), while test–retest reliability was evaluated separately for the Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset dimensions using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results A total of 444 responses were obtained. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure with satisfactory model fit ( χ 2 = 52.293, df = 17, CMIN/DF = 3.076, CFI = 0.984, NFI = 0.977, RFI = 0.962, IFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.974, RMSEA = 0.068, SRMR = 0.059). Standardized factor loadings were satisfactory, while CR values were 0.908 for Fixed Mindset and 0.910 for Growth Mindset, and AVE values were 0.713 and 0.717, respectively, supporting convergent validity. Discriminant validity was supported by the Fornell–Larcker criterion, AVE values exceeding the corresponding maximum shared variance values, and HTMT ratios below 0.90. Test–retest reliability differed between the two dimensions: the Fixed Mindset dimension demonstrated moderate temporal stability (ICC = 0.662, 95% CI: 0.443–0.806), whereas the Growth Mindset dimension showed limited temporal stability (ICC = 0.159, 95% CI: −0.158–0.446). The mean scores for Fixed Mindset items ranged from 2.64 (SD = 1.09) to 2.86 (SD = 1.56), whereas those for Growth Mindset items ranged from 3.81 (SD = 1.16) to 3.96 (SD = 1.21), indicating relatively stronger endorsement of fixed-mindset beliefs in this sample. Conclusions The Chinese version of the ITIS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the intelligence mindset of medical students.